This 350-701 practice question tests your understanding of cloud security. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A large enterprise is migrating legacy applications to AWS. The security team requires that all data in transit between the applications and the on-premises data center be encrypted and inspected for threats. They have deployed a Cisco Firepower NGFW on-premises and are using Amazon VPC with a VPN connection. The team is concerned about east-west traffic within the VPC also being inspected. They consider deploying Cisco Secure Firewall in the cloud (cFMC). However, budget constraints limit the number of virtual firewalls. Which design best meets the requirements while optimizing cost?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Deploy a single Cisco Secure Firewall virtual instance in a transit VPC and route all inter-VPC traffic through it.
Option D is correct because deploying a single Cisco Secure Firewall virtual instance in a transit VPC allows centralized inspection of all inter-VPC (east-west) traffic while minimizing costs. By routing traffic through the transit VPC, you avoid the expense of deploying a firewall in every VPC, and the on-premises Firepower NGFW handles north-south traffic (VPN and internet-bound). This design meets the encryption and threat inspection requirements for both east-west and north-south traffic within the budget constraint.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Inspect all traffic at the on-premises Firepower by routing all cloud traffic through a VPN.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: This does not inspect east-west traffic that stays within AWS.
✗
Deploy a Cisco Secure Firewall virtual instance in each VPC.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: Increases cost significantly.
✗
Use AWS Network Firewall for east-west inspection and keep Firepower on-premises for north-south.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: AWS Network Firewall may not meet all inspection requirements and adds complexity.
✓
Deploy a single Cisco Secure Firewall virtual instance in a transit VPC and route all inter-VPC traffic through it.
Why this is correct
Correct: Central inspection reduces cost while covering east-west.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the concept that a single virtual firewall in a transit VPC can inspect east-west traffic cost-effectively, and the trap here is that candidates mistakenly think AWS Network Firewall (Option C) can replace Cisco Secure Firewall for unified threat inspection across hybrid environments, but it lacks the deep integration with on-premises Firepower and advanced threat detection features required by the scenario.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In a transit VPC design, all inter-VPC traffic is routed through a centralized inspection VPC using VPC peering or AWS Transit Gateway. The Cisco Secure Firewall virtual instance (cFMC-managed) performs stateful inspection, intrusion prevention (Snort 3), and TLS/SSL decryption on east-west flows. This architecture leverages AWS Transit Gateway route tables to direct traffic to the firewall appliance, ensuring that even encrypted traffic between VPCs can be decrypted and inspected before being re-encrypted, meeting compliance requirements without deploying per-VPC firewalls.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the 350-701 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Cloud Security — This question tests Cloud Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Deploy a single Cisco Secure Firewall virtual instance in a transit VPC and route all inter-VPC traffic through it. — Option D is correct because deploying a single Cisco Secure Firewall virtual instance in a transit VPC allows centralized inspection of all inter-VPC (east-west) traffic while minimizing costs. By routing traffic through the transit VPC, you avoid the expense of deploying a firewall in every VPC, and the on-premises Firepower NGFW handles north-south traffic (VPN and internet-bound). This design meets the encryption and threat inspection requirements for both east-west and north-south traffic within the budget constraint.
What should I do if I get this 350-701 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
This 350-701 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 350-701 exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.